Life-preserver



W. M. DENEAU.

LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATON FILED AUG.23.1919.

Patented May 11, 1920- 2 SHEETS-SHEETI W Wok/v5 Y5 W. M. DENEAU.

LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-23. 1919.

1,339,617, Patented May 11, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[NV TOR W A TTORNE Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT orrica.

WILLIAM M. DENEAU, or cmcAoo,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIR. OF CITE-HALF TO HENRY PASCI-IEN.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Application filed August 23, 1919. Serial No. 319,407.

accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in life preservers, and moreparticularly to a life preserver of theinfiatable type, which snuglyfits the form of the individual wearin the same.

ife preservers are of use principally for two purposes, first for thesaving of lives in cases of emergency, and second for floating the bodyof the individual wearing the preserver on the surface of the water,when the individual is learning to swim. The life preservers designedprimarily for the emergency cases are ordinarily bulky and cumbersome inconstruction, and not very well adapted for swimming instruction, asthey interfere with the free movement of the body and limbs of thewearer.

It is one of the objects of this invention to produce a life preserverwhich is formfitting, and substantially equally distributed over thetorso, and which consequently does not interfere with the free movementof the limbs or body.

Another object consists in the construction of a form-fitting preserverwhich snugly fits over the chest, back and abdominal portions of thewearer, and which can be worn either over or under the bathing suit,whereby the necessary buoyancy will be obtained to maintain the body onthe surface of the water, and which at' the same time does not disfigurethe form of the individual wearing the preserver.

A further object of the invention consists in the production of a lifepreserver that can be attached to the inside of the bathing suit andproperly inflated by the wearer after the suit and the associatedpreserver has been placed in position on the body of the wearer.

An additional object ofthe invention con sists in the production of anon-sinkable bathing suit in which the usual trunks and skirt or shirtappendage is attached to the lower edge of the life preserver wherebythe entire garment has the general appearance of the usual two piecebathing suit consisting of shirt and trunks.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description, the accompanying illustrationand the appended claims.

For the purpose of description several embodiments of this invention areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is one form of the improved life preserver shown in frontelevation and in position on the body of the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the life preserver shown in Fig. 1,shown in position on the body of the wearer and indicates theform-fitting characteristics thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the life preserver, secured and fitted inside'of an ordi-' nary type of bathing suit;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a combined bathing suit and lifepreserver illustrated in Fig. 3 shown in position on the bodyof thewearer;

Fig. 5 is another embodiment of the improved life preserver, equippedwith an elastic means to increase the flexibility of the garment;

Fig. 6 is a further embodiment of the improved life preserver in frontelevation, showing a corrugated type thereof, and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the corrugated preserver shown in Fig. 6in position on the body.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the life preserver 10 comprises aninner form-fitting wall or shirt 11, which is designed to closely *fitthe torso, that is, it is constructed to adhere closely and follow theoutline of the chest, back and abdominal portions of the wearer of thepreserver. Secured to the inner wall or shirt 11, at the top and bottomedges 12 and 18 respectively, is the outer shirt or wall 14. The outershirt or wall 14 is secured to the inner shirt or wall 11 at therespective edges 12 and 13 in any suitable manner, such as sewing orpasting, or in any way whereby an air and water tight union is obtainedbetween the two Walls 11 and 14 at these edges. When the two shirts orwalls 11 and 14 are thus combined, it will be. evident that anair-chamber 16 will be formed or established between the twovshirts orwalls.

The outer wall 14 is fitted with an aperture at 17 over which is secureda flexible tube 18, the top end of which is fitted with a combinationvalve and nozzle 19, whereby the air-chamber 16*can be readily inflatedby the wearer when the life preserver 10 is positioned on the body. Thelife preserver is preferably cutout under the arm pit as illustrated at20, whereby free movement of the arm is obtained. To the upper ends ofthe bathing suit are secured the straps 21 and 22, which function asshoulder straps to properly position the life preserver in posicoatedfabric, which is substantially water,

and air-proof, but obviously any suitable fabric without such coatingmay be employed with good results. The fabric likewise should besufficiently pliable, and have a certain amount of yield, so that it canbe conveniently drawn over the body of the wearer and snugl fit itselfto the form of the individual. XVhen the life preserver is drawn on thebody, the air-chamber 16 is preferably deflated and after the lifepreserver is properly positioned, the chamber 16 is filled with air byblow ing through the valve and mouthpiece 19. When the life preserver isfully inflated, the air is substantially equally distributed about thechest, back and abdominal. portions of the body, the air-chamber beingpreferably of a thickness of approximately from one inch to an inch anda half, such an air-chamber exerting a sufiicient buoyant effect toproperly float the bod in the water in the swimming position. he tube 18is preferably maintained in an upright position as illustrated in thedrawings Figs. 1 and 2, by means of a strap 24, whereby the mouth-piece19 will be convenient to the mouth of the wearer.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the life preserver shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as itappears on the body of the wearer when worn under the bathing suit.Obviously the bathing suit can be independent of the life preserver anddrawn over the preserver after it has been positioned on the body, orthe life preserver can be permanently fastened to the bathing suit bystitching around the seams at the edges as illustrated at Figs. 3 and 4.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 a onepiece bathing suit consisting ofthe shirt 25 and the trunks 26 has the life preserver 10 permanentlystitched. to the shirt 25 of the bathing suit by means of seamsindicated by dotted lines at 27. Inasmuch as the total inflation of thelife preserver 10 does not extend the outer wall of the life preservermore than an inch and a half at a maximum from the body of the wearer,it will be evident that the life preserver can be readily the wearershould get into water over his head, inasmuch as the buoyancy of theform-fitting life preserver will readily maintain the body on thesurface of the water in the swimming position. Obviously the lifepreserver can be used with any of the well known styles of bathing suitsof either the one or two piece type.

In order to eliminate the use of a separate bathing suit entirely andstill maintain the appearance of the usual two piece bathing suit, thelife preserver 10 can be used as the upper garment of the bathing suit,

by stitching, the lower or protruding end' 25 of the shirt 25 and thelower end 26 of the trunks 26. The appendages 25' and 26 secured to thelower end 13 of the life preserver 10 are attached to the garment togive it the usual appearance of a two piece bathing suit. Obviouslythese appendages can be secured to the life preserver 10 in any suitablemanner. This construction in which the life preserver 10. is fitted atits lower edge with skirt or shirt and trunk ap pendages forms what maybe termed a non.- sinkable bathing suit.

Fig. 5 illustrates a life preserver similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and2, except that elastic bands 28 and 29 are inserted in each side of thelife preserver so as to give the garment greater flexibility. Theelastic bands 28 and 29 are separated in the middle 30 to interconnectthe air chamber at the front with the air-chamber at the back.

. Obviously but one interconnection between connected in any desiredmanner, the perforations through the walls of the life preserver beingproperly sealed to make the garment water and air proof. In a corrugatedlife preserver of the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the variouscorrugations are all interconnected so that the air will have freepassage throughout the entire air-chamber, so that the preserver can bereadily inflated by blowing into the valve and mouthpiece 19. Obviouslyany other method of corrugating the life preserver could be utilized.

It is to be understood that with all the forms of life preservers hereinillustrated and described, bathing suits can be readily worn over thelife preserver, and since the life preservers as well as the bathingsuits are made form-fitting, no disfiguration of the form of the wearerresults because of the wearing of the life preserver. Life preservers ofthis type, constructed in accordance with the teachings of thisinvention are made form-fitting the same as shirts, the form-fittinggarments being made of various lengths, having the required chest, waistand hip measurements. These measurements will obviously vary in the lifepreservers that are to be worn by men and women.

From the foregoing description it necessarily follows that lifepreservers made according to the teachings of this invention, willsnugly fit and cling to the body, and in their inflated position willassume the form of the body. Likewise that the air chamber utilized togive the desired buoyancy to float the body in the swimming position,

is evenly distributed over the chest, back and abdominal portions of thebody, and since the maximum inflation is relatively slight, that nosubstantial disfigurations of the form will result. Consequently lifepreservers of this kind do not offer any hindrance to the movement ofthe body and limbs as required in swimming, and at the same time theyconstitute a garment which is pleasing to the eye, over which elaborate,dressy bathing suits may be worn, without figure or form distortion.Also when made in the form of a non-sinkable bathing suit, the generalappearance of a bathing suit is obtained, and at the same time thenecessary buoyancy required to float the body of the wearer is procured.

This invention is obviously not limited to the specific embodimentsthereof herein illustrated and described, but is capable of manyvariations and other applications within the spirit of the invention aspointed out in the following claims,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a form-fitting inflatable lifepreserver extending over the entire area of the torso, comprising aninner and outer wall, sealed to prevent the escape of air, means forinflating said life preserver, the life preserver bein inflated so as toobtain an inflation of su stantially equal thickness which issubstantially equally distributed over the entire area of the torso.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a form-fitting inflatable lifepreserver extending over the entire area of the'torso, comprising aninner,and outer wall, sealed to prevent the escape of air, means forinflating said life preserver, the inflated portion of the lifepreserver being substantially equally distributed over the entire areaof the torso in a substantially uniformly thin layer so as to maintainthe shape of the body of the wearer.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a form-fitting inflatable lifepreserver extending over the entire area of the torso, comprising aninner and outer wall, sealed to prevent the escape of air, means forinflating said life preserver, the inflated portion of the lifepreserver being substantially equally distributed in a substantiallythin layer over the entire area of the chest, back and abdominalportions of the body, and shoulder straps secured to the upper edge ofsaid walls to position the life preserver on the body.

4. As a new article of manufacture, an inflatable life preserver,comprising a formfitting shirt, a second-form fitting shirt of largersize, sealed to said first shirt at the upper and lower edges thereof,whereby. a substantially air tight chamber is formed between saidshirts, and means to inflate said chamber whereby a uniformly thin layerof air is substantially uniformly distributed over the entire torso ofthe wearer.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a formfitting life preserverextendingl overthe entire area of the torso, having an inner and outerwall, sealed together at the top and bottom edges, whereby asubstantially air tight chamber of uniform thickness is formed betweensaid walls, said combined walls having form-fitting dimensions at thechest, waist and hips and extending over the entire area of the torso.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a form-fitting life preserverextending over the entire area of the torso, having an inner and outerwall, sealed together at the top and bottom edges, whereby asubstantially air tight chamber of uniform thickness is formed betweensaid walls, said combined walls havingform-fitting dimensions at thechest, waist and hips and extending over the entire area of the torso,and means for inflating said chamber whereby the inform-fitting lifepreserver extending over the entire area of the torso, having an innerand outer wall sealed together at the top and bottom edges, whereby asubstantially air tight chamber of uniform thickness is formed betweensaid walls, said combined walls having form-fitting dimensions at thechest, waist and hips and extending over the entire area of the torso,and means for inflating said chamber after the bathing suit is placedover the preserver, whereby a form of the wearer is maintained.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a form-fitting life preserverextending over the entire area of the torso, comprislng an inner andouter form-fitting shirt, sealed together at the top and bottom edges,whereby an air chamber of uniform thickness is formed between saidshirts, means comprising a tube secured to the front of said shirtswhereby said air-chamber may be inflated and a thinlayer of air ofsubstantially equal thickness equally distributed over the chest, backand abdominal portions of the body, and means forholding said tubeagainst the body of the wearer with theend thereof in close proximity tothe neck of the wearer.

9. As a new article of manufacture a nonsinkable bathing suit extendingover the entire area of the torso, comprising a form fitting shirt andsecond form fitting shirt of larger size sealed to said first shirt atthe upper and lower edges thereof, whereby a substantially airtightchamber is formed between said shirts, means to inflate said chamberwhereby a uniformly thin layer of air is substantially uniformlydistributed over the chest, back and abdominal parts of the body of thewearer and skirt, shirt and trunk appendages secured to the lower ec geof the shirts to give the completed garment the appearance of a twopiece bathing suit.

10. As a new article of n'ianufacture a non-sinkable bathing suitextending over the entire area of the torso, having an inner and outerwall sealed together at the top and bottom ed es whereby a substantiallyairtight cham er is formed between said walls, said combined wallshaving form fitting dimensions at the chest, waist and hips, means forinflating said chamber, whereby a form fitting uniformly thin layer ofair will be substantially equally distributed over the body of thewearer, and shirt and trunk appendages secured to the bottom sealededges of said walls.

11. As a new article of manufacture a form fitting non-sinkable bathingsuit extending over the entire area of the torso, comprising an innerand outer form fitting shirt sealed together at the top and bottom edgeswhereby an air chamber is formed between said shirts, means comprising atube secured to the front of said shirts whereby said air chamber may beinflated, and a thin layer of air equally distributed over the chest,back and abdominal portions of the body, means for holding said tubeagainst the body of the wearer with the end thereof in close proximityto the neck of the wearer and shirt and trunk appendages secured to thesealed bottom edge of said shirts whereby the completed garment has thegeneral appearance of a two piece bathing suit.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM M. DENEAU.

